Video: Build It, Drive It, Race It – The Goodguys Autocross Event

There’s one place that’s not cool to stretch your legs and lay the hammer down when cruising in your musclecar: public roadways. Not only can you get that avoidable ticket (by not exceeding the speed limit) but you can also get your car taken away.

We get it: “they keep closing down drag strips,” but that’s not the only place you can push your car to its limits. Why put so much into wheels, tires, brakes, sway bars, etc., and just go fast in a straight line? If you really want to see what that puppy can do, think about hitting the autocross at a Goodguys event near you.

Goodguys Rod and Custom Association is a long-time tradition that started as simply a “Get Together” and has grown leaps and bounds since then. But rather than having just a car show with some amazing builds, the Goodguys autocross is a way to bring some high-speed excitement to the show, and the smell of high-revving exhaust and smoking tires, as they both play music to our ears.

One of the upcoming shows is this weekend, when the Goodguys head out to Del Mar, California for the 15th Meguirs Del Mar Nationals. We’ve been there a few times, and each time we’re pleasantly surprised at the near-standing room only spectator area for the autocross event. But, you know it doesn’t stop there, right? Walk around a bit, and you find yourself checking out some of those beastly creations being thrown around in the cones.

See what they’ve got under the hood, see how the suspension is set up, and check out the brakes on these musclecars on steroids. You can get some cool ideas for your own car, and we’ve never been turned away by one of the drivers when we’ve asked us to share their story.

As told in the video above, the autocross is making its way across the country, with qualifying runs for those who want to compete, and timed runs for those who just want to get out there and see what their car can do. Does your musclecar have what it takes to nail the throttle without nailing the cones? You don’t need to be a professional driver to get involved, it just takes a car, a driver, and, yeah, some cajones. But isn’t that the reason why you put all of that power under your right foot in the first place?

So get some seat time and make a date to dance around some cones this upcoming weekend at Del Mar for the 15th Del Mar Nationals. The autocross runs all weekend, Friday through Sunday, and in between runs you can hang out with other gearheads, show off your ride, make a cruise through the fairgrounds, and check out some amazing builds.

If you’re really serious about autocross, be sure to check out the pros at the event. With some amazing cars built with some of the best components on the market, you can bet that you’re going to see some sideways action, some spinning tires, and some crazy fast lap times.